The applicant of the present patent application developed material activating devices each provided with a conductive metal layer interposed between a material to be activated and a radioactive means for emitting radioactive rays for irradiating the material and capable of efficiently activating the material. Patent has been granted to those material activating devices (refer to Patent documents 1 and 2).
The construction of a material activating device disclosed in Patent document 1 (JP Pat. No. 3065590) will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 29 and 30. Referring to FIGS. 29 and 30, a material activating device 1 is provided with a radioactive layer 2 formed by forming particles of a mineral, such as monazite, in the shape of a strip.
A conductive metal layer formed by laminating copper plates 3 and 4 is laminated to one of the surfaces of the radioactive layer 2.
A lead plate 5 having the shape of a strip and a copper plate 6 having the shape of a strip for intercepting radioactive rays are superposed on the other surface of the radioactive layer 2.
The radioactive layer 2, the copper plates 3 and 4, the lead plate 5 and the copper plate 6 are joined so as to be slidable relative to each other with a rivet 7. The material activating device 1 can be easily wound around an intake duct D made of a polymeric material for an automotive engine.
When the material activating device 1 is wound around the intake duct D, the two laminated copper plates 3 and 4 form a conductive metal layer on the intake duct D, and the radioactive layer 2 covers the conductive metal layer.
Radioactive rays having a dose equivalent on the order of 100 mSv emitted by the radioactive layer 2 ionize intake air flowing through the intake duct D.
At the same time, the copper plates 3 and 4 are charged with electric charges produce by ionization and create an electric field and a magnetic field. The electric and the magnetic field thus created act on the ionized intake air to promote the ionization of the intake air greatly.
The ionized air supplied into cylinders of an automobile, not shown, mixes satisfactorily with fuel injected into the cylinder. Consequently, combustion efficiency at which the fuel burns in the cylinder is improved significantly, the improvement of fuel consumption rate and the purification of the exhaust gas can be promoted.
The construction of another material activating device mentioned in Patent document 1 (JP Pat. No. 3065590) will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 31. Referring to FIG. 31, a material activating device 10 includes a pair of holding members 11 and 12 and particles 13 of a mineral, such as monazite, sealed in a space defined by the holding members 11 and 12. The material activating device 10 is mounted on and fastened to a wall W of a conductive metal with bolts B.
The effect of weak radioactive rays emitted by the monazite particles 13 is amplified greatly by the holding member 11 and the wall W forming a conductive metal layer. Thus a material, not shown, held inside the wall P can be efficiently activated.
The construction of a material activating device mentioned in Patent document 2 (JP Pat. No. 3573412) will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 32. Referring to FIG. 32, a material activating device 20 is intended to be wound around, for example, a pipe P to activate a material M that flows through the pipe P. The material activating device 20 has a radioactive layer 21 capable of emitting radioactive rays for irradiating the material M.
The radioactive layer 21 is formed by forming monazite particles that emit radioactive rays in a strip.
A first conductive metal layer 22 formed by laminating a plurality of copper sheets having a thickness of 0.1 mm is laminated to one surface of the radioactive layer 21 on the side of the pipe P. A second conductive metal layer 23 formed by laminating two brass or aluminum sheets having a thickness of 0.1 mm is laminated to the other surface of the radioactive layer 21 far from the pipe P.
The degree of activation of the material M is adjusted by differentiating the mass of the metal forming the first conductive metal layer 22 and that of the metal forming the second conductive metal layer 23.
[Patent document 1]    JP Pat. No. 3065590
[Patent document 2]    JP Pat. No. 3573412